Trulaske Trade Trek takes students on a global expedition
Shawn Askinosie, AB ’83, JD ’89, is proving that Missouri-based businesses can compete responsibly in a global market and still turn a “sweet” profit.
As founder and CEO of Askinosie Chocolate, Askinosie makes small-batch chocolate in Springfield, Missouri, with cocoa beans sourced directly from farmers in places like Ecuador, Tanzania and the Philippines.
Global trade is not just about price and logistics, Askinosie said. It’s also about trust, long-term relationships, quality, risk and treating people fairly across cultures and borders. It’s a message that Askinosie has shared in his TEDx talk, in his Chocolate University Foundation, and in his book, “Meaningful Work: The Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul.”
It’s also a message that a select group of students from the University of Missouri’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business had the opportunity to hear first-hand.
Trade Trek to Springfield
Askinosie Chocolate was one of several stops on the students’ recent Trade Trek, an innovative, experience-centered learning opportunity offered by the MU International Trade Center, which is housed in the Trulaske College of Business.
“The Trade Trek provides an opportunity for Trulaske College of Business students to experience the world of global trade first-hand by visiting a Missouri community,” said Jackie Rasmussen, director of the MU ITC. “Students complete company visits and connect with trade professionals to learn more about imports, exports, trade resources and career opportunities in international business.”
Other site visits on the recent Trade Trek to Springfield included the Paul Mueller Company, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and Positronic Industries. Students heard from representatives from the companies and attended a Global Trade Resource Panel hosted by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
“It was such a valuable experience,” said Na (Sabrina) Hu, a senior studying marketing at Trulaske. “Being able to step outside the classroom and learn directly from professionals gave me a much clearer picture of different career paths.”
Each site introduced students to a different aspect of global trade.
“It was a valuable experience getting to see how large but niche industries like Paul Mueller Company and Positronic Amphenol utilize global trade to expand their reach and stay competitive,” said Anwita Kudaravalli, a freshman studying finance and international business. “Seeing how they manage international projects made it clear how important communication with language and time zone barriers, trust, and transportation are when working across countries.”
Experience-centered learning opportunities like Trade Trek are one of the pillars of success at Trulaske, providing valuable context to classroom instruction.
“Realizing how companies manage sourcing, production, and distribution across different countries while dealing with delays, costs and changing demand has been eye opening to me. It made me realize just how complex and fragile global supply chains can be, and how critical thinking is essential to keeping businesses running smoothly,” said Kyle Johnston, a senior studying management at Trulaske. “Hearing directly from professionals and seeing these operations up close helped connect a lot of what I’ve been learning in class to the real world.”
Sweet Success
Beyond the mechanics of global trade, this year’s Springfield Trade Trek also gave students an opportunity to explore responsible business practices, like relationship building and ethical sourcing.
"What stuck with me the most was the culture at Askinosie Chocolate. Their commitment to strong ethics and transparency, especially in how they run their business and treat their partners, gave me valuable insight into how a company can be both successful and principled,” said Carter Sullivan, a freshman studying international business and Korean studies at Mizzou. “That’s something I’ll definitely carry with me moving forward."
For Askinosie, hosting visits like these is an opportunity to teach young professionals that small businesses can be a force for good.
“Experiences like this give context to the complexity of business and show them that behind every supply chain, transaction, and strategy, there are real people. “
Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business prepares students for success as global citizens, business leaders, scholars, innovators and entrepreneurs by providing access to transformative technologies, offering experience-centered learning opportunities and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.